Taraba State, Suntai and health politics

“There was a president who was incapacitated and could not even speak, yet some few elements in Aso Rock did all in their capacity to tell shocking Nigerians that an incapacitated man could rule from anywhere. They went as far as using a popular foreign media to get the president to talk in order to allay the fears of Nigerians, even when the government owned media houses could have done such.“

IN far away Taraba State, something miraculous is happening. It is as if a prophet had been sent there to perform miracles to astound the people. However, if it were to be a prophet sent from Above, one would not be surprised at whatever such prophet sends forth, for miracles ordinarily are meant to convince even the stone hearted man into believing in God. The word miracle, however, should be an understatement, most especially as it has to do with the political drama and theatrical events unfolding in Taraba State.

Since the air mishap, which almost took the life of the state governor, Danbaba Suntai, and few others, the people of the state and curious Nigerians like this writer have had to contend with series of lies, cover-ups and deceit from the political elites all in the name of perpetrating themselves in power and further denigrating the principles of democracy and the rule of law.

As a Nigerian, it is unbelievable that the political class have refused to learn from history and therefore, allowed history to repeat itself. There is nothing wrong when history repeats itself, what is however wrong is to allow those horrendous and unfortunate events of the historical past run its cycle again. Such is what is happening in Taraba State.

Not many would forget in a hurry the imbroglio that engulfed the political scene a few years back, nearly tearing the country apart. There was a president who was incapacitated and could not even speak, yet some few elements in Aso Rock did all in their capacity to tell shocking Nigerians that an incapacitated man could rule from anywhere. They went as far as using a popular foreign media to get the president to talk in order to allay the fears of Nigerians, even when the government owned media houses could have done such. They held Aso Rock with a heavy hand and refused to allow the vice-president serve even in an acting capacity. It would only take pressures from civil society groups and the vast majority of the people before common sense eventually prevailed.

One would have thought such unfortunate event in the history of the country would have been settled finally, not until the wife of the president, the latter who had once fallen victim of the cabal in Aso Rock, also disappeared without trace and for any cogent reason. Speculations were rife that Dame Jonathan was diagnosed of a million and one ailment, when in fact nothing of such was wrong with her. Her return at the nick of time quickly doused whatever speculation Nigerians and the media had earlier about her.

Many were still trying to get over the Dame Jonathan health razzmatazz, when the same trend of playing politics with issues relating to the health of the political class suddenly evolved right in far away Germany; photos of the recuperating governor of Taraba State, Danbaba Suntai were released to the media. In one of the photos, Mr. Suntai was shown carrying one of his twin babies, flanked by his wife and the other of the twin babies as well as a family friend.

The pictures depicted Mr. Suntai sitting on a special support chair, holding one of his twin babies and showing no emotion. The pictures were intended to be clear to the eyes of those intended to see them, convincing them that all was well with the governor. Despite the pictorial politics whoever was behind sending the pictures to the media wanted to play to blind the masses, it certainly failed to assuage the fears of the people, for no matter how long one hides a dead body, the stench will sooner expose it.

Suntai betrayed all emotions in the pictures simply because he was shown only smiling, yet visibly lost in alertness. An alert governor who truly was recuperating would have insisted his photographers snapped him while hugging his wife, dancing and playing around with his friends and kids or even waving to the public. Rather, the picture showed Suntai as one who did not understand what was happening around him and looked dribble. It is quite unfortunate that those who posted the picture failed to realize that pictures do not lie and if truly those were the faces of Mr. Suntai, then something urgent must be done to make him recuperate in peace rather than forcing the poor man believed to be brain dead on the people of Taraba.

No matter what the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Emmanuel Bello, wants to have the people of the state believe, he and his ilk must understand that lying before their own people will not solve the already tensed situation in the state. The true nature and health status of the governor must be stated and known. In a situation of this nature where confusion in the political equation of the state is rearing its ugly head and especially when ethnic and religious schemes play a dominant role in the political sustainability in the state, common sense must begin to prevail.

Simply because we do not want another Northern state whose history has always been rife with peace and tranquility to suddenly go on fire, because we do not want soldiers to occupy once again, like some Northern states, a once peaceful turned troubled state caused by the actions of politicians, and because we do not want religious and ethnic bigots to overrun the state just like they had done with Jos, all those who hold Taraba State dear in their hearts must ensure that those few who are bent on subverting the rule of law are quickly replaced. Taraba State must not stand on the wrong side of history for its destiny is in the hands of both the politicians and its people.

• Written by Omo Omoluabi.

“Opinion pieces of this sort published on RISE Networks are those of the original authors and do not in anyway represent the thoughts, beliefs and ideas of RISE Networks.”

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